In steel manufacturing, ambient conditions like high humidity can cause operation challenges. For example, when the ore absorbs moisture, it leads to higher energy consumption in blast furnaces. But is the real issue high energy usage, high ore moisture, or high atmospheric humidity?

The answer is: all three.

And it doesn’t end there.

Excess energy usage doesn’t just spike operational costs; it affects your emissions profile and leads to faster wear on blast furnace refractories, increasing maintenance demands.By identifying the causes and addressing them, companies can better manage energy consumption, reduce emissions, and extend equipment life.

However, so much information needs to be absorbed and contextualised before someone can confidently make decisions, which typically requires many years of experience.

This is where Condition-Based Actions and Smart Guidance systems come into play. Leveraging AI, these systems analyze the complex interactions between both known and unknown factors, providing real-time recommendations to maintain smooth plant operations.

While the decision ultimately rests with the human, this approach accelerates the learning curve by delivering immediate insights. Engineers can start making informed decisions without waiting years to gain that knowledge through experience alone.